David Bowie Installation Takes Over Subway Station

Images of iconic musician David Bowie have taken over a New York City subway station, acting as an extension of the exhibit “David Bowie Is,” currently being hosted at the Brooklyn Museum.

The interconnected Broadway-Lafayette and Bleecker Street stations, located where Bowie spent the last two decades of his life, display a variety of photos from the artist throughout his career. According to Variety, walls, turnstiles and iron girders between the station’s floors also carry signage for the exhibition.

David Bowie Exhibit

Italy-based Truly Design Studio worked in collaboration with music streaming service Spotify to develop the installation. One of the key elements is a 1,221-foot anamorphic installation on 30 I-beams, which display two images of Bowie’s Thin White Duke. This was portrayed by Masayoshi Sukita and Markus Klinko, and can be seen from the two extremities of the station's main gallery.

Truly Design Studio

One of the key elements is a 1,221-foot anamorphic installation on 30 I-beams, which display two images of Bowie’s Thin White Duke.

Original artwork is also on display, along with quotes from Bowie about New York and a map of key locations in his career. Each significant piece contains a Spotify code that provides audio accompaniment. Fans of Bowie can also line up to buy up to five different MetroCards that commemorate the artist.

According to Alex Bodman, Spotify’s global creative director: “the idea was to create a tribute, not an ad. If it were, we wouldn’t have approached it this way.”

The project was undertaken with help from Bowie’s estate, which provided access to the artist’s well-protected archives.

“We worked hand-in-hand with his archivist and found some things that just took our breath away, and then it became a responsibility: How do we go to his neighborhood and the places where he recorded some of his masterpieces, and create an experience where not only his fans but every New Yorker can be proud that he made this city his home?” Bodman told Variety.

Originally beginning its trip around the world in 2013, the “David Bowie Is” exhibit will be on display at the Brooklyn Museum, its last stop on the tour, until May 13.